Mexico referendum on ex-leaders falls short of turnout target

FILE PHOTO: A man casts his vote during a referendum to decide whether to investigate five former Mexican leaders, championed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, at a polling station in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, August 1, 2021. REUTERS/Jose Luis Gonzalez

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A referendum backed by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on whether to investigate Mexico's former political leaders has fallen short of the required turnout though it had overwhelming backing from those who voted, initial results showed on Monday.

Mexico's National Electoral Institute said that, according to a preliminary count of nearly 99% of ballots, 97.7% of participants supported the proposal of putting the decisions of previous political leaders under investigation.